This invention relates generally to the field of jewelry tools and more specifically to a bracelet fastening device.
Bracelets are generally circular in shape and fit around a person's wrist. They have been worn by people around the world for thousands of years. Many bracelets are flexible, being made of chain link or other string like material such as leather or flexible polymer. Many bracelets include a clasp portion where a loop located on one end of the bracelet chain is engaged with a clasp located on the opposite end of the bracelet chain. Attaching such a bracelet requires a level of dexterity that some people may find difficult, especially the very young and the very old or those with physical infirmities such as arthritis.
To help a person attach the loop end of a bracelet to the clasp end it would be helpful to have a tool that allows the hand that the bracelet is being attached to, be able to hold the loop end of the bracelet while the person uses the other hand to manipulate the clasp end to attach to the loop end. Ralph LaMacchia in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,958 has proposed such a device. It includes a gripping portion constructed in a similar way to a standard alligator clip, which is fastened to an elongate handle. The user holds onto the handle and uses the alligator clip to hold the loop end of a bracelet while the user can hold the clasp end with her other hand and attach it to the loop end.
However, while the LaMacchia device may be useful, there are significant deficiencies in the design. First, the rigid nature of the elongate handle makes it difficult for the alligator clip to end up in dose proximity to the user's wrist, making attachment more awkward. Second, the overall length of the handle is non-adjustable making it difficult to comfortably fit a variety of hand sizes. Third, the teeth of the alligator clip are hard and may harm a delicate bracelet. Fourth, the shape of the holding portion of the elongate handle is not an ideal shape for maintaining maximum control of the device. Finally, there is no provision for removing and replacing the alligator clip portion with a smaller or larger clip depending on the size of the bracelet clasp being fastened.